There is a story which says that HW used up parts of BSF rifles to make the HW85 after the HW takeover of BSF, usually the HW85 scope rail is cited as one of these parts. I think that the rail, while it is similar in concept to the BSF rail, is a completely different part to that used on BSF rifles. Original/Diana also use such a rail, as did some of the late BSA springers. It is a part that people can think up and design and make all on their own, BSF did not buy the copywright.

This idea that HW bought BSF and then used up the remaining parts making a 'bitza' rifle called the HW85 is a piece of internet mythology that has no place in fact.

Can I.J. or someone with both the HW85 (old school version) and an example of the BSF rail take pictures and show the world that the idea that the HW85 contains BSF parts is a big pile of bullcrap?

HW did not use anything at all from the BSF range of parts that I can identify in any rifle ever.

HW bought up BSF and may have used whatever good engineering machinery and staff that were left, but that is all I think.

The rail was there, so I believe, because the engineers were concerned that the thin-walled tubing they were using could possibly have been distorted by people crimping their one-piece mounts on too hard should they have cut the grooves in the normal way. Although this might be nonsense as well.